Nigeria’s FIFA Rankings Freefall: Super Eagles Plunge Amid World Cup Qualifying Woes

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have plummeted eight positions in the FIFA rankings since the latest update on 4 April. During this period, the Eagles encountered difficulties in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, securing a 1-1 draw against South Africa on 7 June and suffering a 1-2 defeat against Benin on 10 June.
In the aftermath of these setbacks, their newly appointed manager, Finidi George, tendered his resignation following the Nigeria Football Federation’s announcement of its plan to bring in a new foreign technical adviser.
On the African continent, Morocco, Egypt, and Cote d’Ivoire each ascended by one position, while Senegal descended by one position.

The Atlas Lions lead the African teams at the 12th spot, followed by Senegal’s Teranga Lions at 18, Egypt’s Pharaohs at 36, the African champions Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire at 37, and the Super Eagles concluding Africa’s top five at 38.
As per the recent FIFA release, “the top three, however, remain unshakeable. Argentina (1st) maintains its position at the pinnacle, with France (2nd) and Belgium (3rd) closely behind. Nevertheless, there is movement in the rankings, as Brazil (4th, up 1) and England (5th, down 1) swap places.
“Meanwhile, Portugal (6th), the Netherlands (7th), and Spain (8th) solidify their positions in the top ten, while Croatia (9th, up 1) surpasses Italy (10th, down 1), who nonetheless retain their place among the elite.”
These rankings are anticipated to undergo further changes this month due to the Euro Championship and Copa America taking place.